World of Secrets
by Mammon-BZ
Summary: In the World of Secrets,everyone guards a secret with their lives. When Tsuna,a commoner, accidentally runs into Prince Hibari, he thinks he's doomed, but what he doesn't realize is that their fates are twined around a common destiny. 1827 AU Dark!27 HIATUS.
1. The Execution

**World of Secrets**

**Summary: **In the World of Secrets, everyone has to have a secret, given to them at birth, which they must guard with their life. When Tsuna, a commoner, accidentally runs into Prince Hibari, he thinks he's doomed for death, but what he doesn't realize is that their fates are intertwined into a destiny that had been decided for them long ago.

**Pairing: **1827

**Warning: **T for some slightly gory scenes and .Dark Tsuna1\

I don't own KatekyoHitman Reborn! If I did, gyahahaha…

A huge thanks to my editor (Escente on deviantart) for helping pull through this chapter :)

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><p>Chapter 1. The Execution<p>

Tsuna padded soundlessly towards the large door. The stone floor was cold, colder than usual. Though intricately designed, the door was caked with dust, but that didn't matter to Tsuna. His body slid in and out of the wood, never touching anything. His feet didn't leave prints on the dirt-covered floor. In this world, his was a lost existence.

The cloaked figure was standing in front of the solitary window. Awatchpiece lay in his hand but as far as Tsuna could see, the hands were immobile. He was murmuring. Some sort of mantra, Tsuna thought, though he couldn't comprehend what exactly the person was saying. It sounded garbled and indistinguishable, perhaps another tongue. Then, as usual, the figure turned, shadows on its face highlighted by the lone burning candle, but before Tsuna could see who it was, he was blown backwards.

Into reality.

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><p>The day was gray, like many other days. Mornings were always cold here in Namimori and the wintry air chilled Tsuna to the bone as he trudged along the streets, hands safely tucked into his pockets.<p>

It was the Day of the Execution.

Around Tsuna, people streamed in and out of shops, fetching morning groceries, tailoring new suits. To all of them, it didn't matter that people were going to be killed today. Didn't matter that blood will be spilled, bones will be broken. After all, it happened every year, and had become some sort of a routine for them.

In the World of Secrets, where secrets are keys to people's hearts, every person has to have one secret, the deepest and darkest of his collection,to be kept strictly under lock. It wasn't really a law though, but it would be unwise, extremely so, if one revealed their Secret to a person they didn't completely trust. It was said that the King had eyes and ears all around, and anyone, anyone at all, who seemed a radical in its loosest definition, would be sent to the Execution.

But as long as they were not the ones executed, it didn't really matter, did it, to what happened to those poor bastards who had been.

Every year on the Day of the Execution, some prisoners (of many, it was rumoured) would be brought, tied on stakes to the Square, where they would be openly tortured and then killed, as a kind of sacrifice to the Seer, keeper of the secrets, the god who watched over them, guiding their way. The watching was made compulsory to all citizens above eight. It was a display of sorts, of course, of the Royal Family's power over their people's secrets. To intimidate people into keeping their heart locked. Betrothals were merely made to make sure their race continued.

Tsuna stuck his hands further into his pockets. He hated the way the cold weather dampened his hair. Even when it wasn't raining his fringe stuck to his forehead like glue and his usually spiky hair…drooped.

Lost in his thoughts, he stopped abruptly as he realised he had entered the Square. The Square was more of a circle, actually, which had routes that could access almost every part of the city. One of the routes had been cordoned off today, presumably to make way for the parade.

The parade, Tsuna thought bitterly, was nothing more than a way for the royals to gloat over their people. Flattery for them to shove up their pompous asses. What was it really, to watch over a thousand people grovel at your feet while you decided what order the prisoners would be killed.

He glanced at his watch. The parade would not start for another half hour. His watch brought memories of his dream the previous person…and that tower…they seemed somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. He unconsciously fingered his watchpiece, no doubt thinking about the one which had appeared to him last night. It wasn't any good as the memory had already been blurred by the events of the morning. The dream had certainly not been very pleasant but at least it was a welcome relief from the nightmares that occasionally plagued him.

A gong sounded somewhere in the distance. It was nine and the parade would start soon. People had already flooded the Square, and Tsuna knew his mother would be somewhere amongst them. She would have gone together with him if not for the fight to snatch up the last bit of good salt before the season went away.

Ridiculously epic music started to play, its tempo aligning itself with Tsuna's throbbing head. From the spaces between the bodies squashed side by side, Tsuna could make out an army of soldiers marching into the Square. It was like that, every single fucking year. Behind them, there would be a large wooden platform wheeled in by another platoon of henchmen, on which prisoners were gagged and tied like sucklings to wooden stakes, their face masks of misfortune and terror. And behind them still, would be the much plusher Chariot of Roses on which the Royalty rode. True to its name, the open-air humongous chariot was decked with dozens and dozens of roses, each bouquet lovelier than the last. And of course, on the chariot, the Royalty would seat: The King, his chief concubine (formally known as the Queen), and the two Princes.

The King was a large man, tall and rather muscular, with condescending eyes and a heart that didn't give a damn about his people, in Tsuna's opinion. The Queen, beautiful as she was, seemed like a typical flower-picking ninny, relying on her thick-headed husband for everything and was definitely not fit to be put on the Queen's Throne. The two princes, different as night and day. The Crown Prince and Heir, was tall and lean like his Father, with the same mocking eyes and a slight smirk. He had blond hair so pale it was a shade of white, and faded brown eyes. His brother was seemingly an exact picture negative, all dark and shadows. Slightly shorter, lithe and graceful like a cat, the younger prince had matt black hair, intense gray eyes, and a face devoid of emotion.

There was no denying that the Royal Family was beautiful, but beneath that glacial beauty were pitch-black souls and hearts of ice.

The crowd had started to cheer, loudly and enthusiastically, at the stately scene in front of their eyes. The fervent cries and well-wishes of prosperity and long-lives to the royals masked the neutrality or dislike the people had towards their rulers. Tsuna had no choice but to join in the clapping and catcalling. To be caught doing anything otherwise lead to certain death.

The army and the two platforms drew to a halt in the center of the Square, where the prisoners would be executed. Tsuna swept his gaze over them, feeling distaste for those whose eyes were drowning in terror, and a grudging admiration for those with looks of acceptance found on men who had foreseen their fate. The King was impatiently tapping his fingers, the Queen clinging to his arm, and the two princes looking on with a kind of bored indifference.

The clock struck ten, loudly and clearly. Then, with a kind of practiced routine, the princes stood and walked down the sides of the chariot in opposite directions, disappearing into specified alleyways, large numbers of bodyguards hurrying after the,. Till they were fully matured, blooded royals were not allowed to witness the killings. Really, Tsuna thought wryly, children of hardly eight years were here to see blood spilt. But of course, the pure innocence of the princes must be protected, mustn't they? The Queen rose, a flurry of silk and lace, and disappeared into the back of the chariot.

At last the King stood, large and commanding. It was time. He twisted his fingers into the symbol of Knowledge, also known as the symbol of the Seer, and pressed his hand against his chest. It was an act of respect towards the Seer, the god who looked after the people of this world, just like the sacrificial killings of those who had broken his rules.

The guards took their place in front of their assigned prisoner. On clean sweep with a blade, and their heads would be off. Then, in a manner of practiced synchronicity, they sliced clean arcs with their swords. In a matter of seconds, the wooden platform of the chariot was littered with decapitated heads and shards of bone. The stumps of necks which the heads had been once attached were gushing blood, spurting it all over the now soulless bodies, the soldiers' uniforms and the lifeless lolling heads on the ground.

Tsuna looked down at his clothes. He hadn't realized until now, but due to his position near the prisoners, his sleeves and shirtfront were stained red with blood.

_Blood…red…just like…just like…just—_Tsuna started slightly nauseous. The blood had evoked some kind of nostalgic memory within him but he couldn't quite remember. His stomach churned as the rusty metallic smell of blood wafted across the Square, gaining intensity. It was suffocating. _Why? I have never felt so disgusted by blood before. _The King was making some kind of speech but the words sounded garbled to his ears, like the man from his dreams. _Man from his dreams? _It seemed worlds away. Then, Tsuna's stomach constricted and bile rose to his ground swayed below his feet. His body stiffened with a gasp as random images flowed into his mind. _A gory bloody battlefield, the ground stained metallic red. A woman, her face sallow, her fingers gnarled and twisted, clawing at him before her body erupted into thousands of maggots. A white rose, speckled red, placed before a grave. _In a blind panic, Tsuna started pushing his way out of the crowd. His vision was blurred and his ears didn't seem to be working properly but Tsuna still knew, that to do something as disrespectful as collapsing onto the ground during the ceremony would earn him a place in Dante's hell.

As he stumbled away from the the blood, the cheers and the loud music, he could feel the intense urge to vomit. Only his sheer panic and his survival instinct kept it in. He had heard that in the dungeons below the Palace, people had been eaten alive by the rats and flies._Need…need to get to a further place where guard's aren't watching…haha…Mother would have to wash my shirt again…_Tsuna had an abstract thought.

As the darkness of the drainage alleyway descended upon him, Tsuna started to feel slightly safer. After all, no guards would wander here right? They would be too high and mighty for that. He had heard stories of the Royal Guard. So close to the King, they thought they had a place sky-high above the normal citizens. But he still wanted to get further away from the Square just in case. _Gods, I need to puke. _He didn't stop when he heard a voice in front of him shouting. If it was a citizen, he would simply have to apologize later if he had done something wrong. Anyway, anyone with the right sense of mind would get out of his way right?

It was with this thought that he barreled straight into the person coming his way. His body tipped forward, his momentum causing the both of them to fall over. The sudden imbalance was the last straw. His stomach shifted and he vomited, all over the other person.

But this had also cleared his head, a little bit. Tsuna wearily shook his head, hoped that no guards had seen him and prepared himself to apologiseprofuselyto that person. So he looked up.

Straight into the infamous grey eyes of His Royal Highness, Prince Hibari Kyouya.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hey guys! Long time no see. I don't usually have time to write fanfiction but this plot bunny has ravaged my brain for ages. I try to update as soon as possible so please support me. Criticism is welcomed.


	2. The Prince and the Pauper

**World of Secrets**

**Summary: **In the World of Secrets, everyone has to have a secret, given to them at birth, which they must guard with their life. When Tsuna, a commoner, accidentally runs into Prince Hibari, he thinks he's doomed for death, but what he doesn't realize is that their fates are intertwined into a destiny that had been decided for them long ago.

**Pairing: **1827

**Warning: **T for some slightly gory scenes and swearing. OOC Characters. Dark Tsuna.

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! If I did, gyahahaha…

A huge thanks to my editor (Escente on deviantart) for helping pull through this chapter :)

**A/N : THIS IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ. **I changed something major in the first chapter, so please take note. If you don't feel like rereading Chapter 1, here's the essence of what I changed: It's no longer a law that secrets have to be kept. However, everyone still has a secret recorded in the archives (more information on this in the future), which they should preferably keep to themselves, lest they be revealed as traitors and executed by the King.

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><p>Chapter 2. The Prince and the Pauper<p>

"_Even god cannot change the past."_

**(i) The Disillusioned Prince**

Ever since Hibari was young, he knew that he was special. Born to a Royal Family, he had been pampered all his life, lavished with care, awe and extravagant gifts. He lived a life amongst silk and gold. But he knew that the maids and butlers in the palace didn't actually care. All that kept them going was fear. And he hated that. Hated the way the maids shrank away in fear whenever he stepped close to them, as though he would sentence them to the gallows any moment. Hated the way the butlers he met along the corridors bowed so low that their heads almost touched the floor.

He may be treated like a god in public, but he knew that behind closed doors, behind locked windows, the worst kinds of rumours about him flew around the Palace. And the worst part about them was that they were true. Hibari wasn't a proper prince, the rumours went. Just the son of some kind of medium that the King had taken a liking to. That part, at least, was certain. Neither his pale father, nor the beautiful blonde Queen had his black hair. He hated his dark hair too. It made him stand out, made it seem certain that he didn't belong, that he was a fake and a pawn, to be disposed as and when his family liked. Just like his mother. One of many such women, and promptly forgotten directly afterwards, just like all the others.

Hibari knew that he was special. His mother had been special too, though he didn't know too much about her. It was expected that all information about her had been destroyed and the measly amount of knowledge he managed to gather about her through walking along palace corridors, was that she had been a medium.

But then that was obvious. Because his brute of a father couldn't possibly have given Hibari his ability to sense the thoughts of others.

When Hibari had been young, he had thought that it was natural. Natural to hear the soundless words swirling in the minds of other people. Natural to know, that beneath their posh and perfectly impassive exterior, that the nobles thought of him as nothing more than aimless decoration. Beneath their polite bows and utters of "Your Royal Highness" they thought that they were way above him, so much so that to some of them, that brat of a Prince should be really, nothing more than a slave. He had heard silent thoughts of rebellion against his father and listened to unspoken plots of treason, but being young at that time, he had failed to understand what exactly, the elders of the aristocrat families visiting the palace were planning anyway. At any rate, it never happened. Either the plan had been abandoned, or his father had…done what he had always done against traitors of the law.

And the civilians too. Oh, how much they hated him. The first time he was present at the Execution, he had been five. When the lovely chariot on which his family sat had rolled out, the blackness that emanated from the crowd had overwhelmed him. Sadness, regret, disgust, disappointment… All those feelings that melded into an enormous wave of hatred that had nearly swept him off his feet. _The civilians hate us. To them, we are nothing more than rats which leech off them and their hard work. They despise me, my brother…all of us. _It made him more than uncomfortable, to be standing in front of a huge crowd of people, who would all find his dead body highly pleasing.

Over the years, Hibari had gradually gotten used to it. The nobles' scorn toward him and the civilian's disgust. He knew that he was special, and that nobody else could sense emotions like he did. But this he kept to himself, because if he allowed anyone, anyone at all to see that this was both his power and his weakness, he would become like stated in the rumours, nothing more than a pawn. _As long as I keep my feelings under check, nobody will break me._

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><p>It was when Hibari was seven that he first saw the blue-haired man with the mask across his eyes and chains around his neck. He had been at a funeral for an uncle he hadn't even known existed, watching impassively from the sidelines. He had just about finished debating with himself if he should abandon the stupid funeral in favour of his bed when the cloying smell of chocolate hit his nose.<p>

Hibari turned and looked incredulously at the man next to him. The young man next to him was nonchalantly munching on a huge bar of 41% Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Godiva*, the fragrant smell of the cocoa bar filling the air.

The man had dark indigo hair and a simple black mask that covered his eyes. Throwing in the extravagant clothes and the large bar of chocolate, the man looked more like he was attending a birthday party than a funeral. _Is it a new law that my father set? To eat chocolate at funerals? _It was then that the man caught Hibari gaping at him, and offered the young Prince a knowing smirk. With a flourish, he pulled another huge bar of chocolate out of thin air and offered it to Hibari. Hibari stared at the chocolate like it was radioactive. The man seemed to get impatient and tossed the bar to the young prince who by reflex caught the nutty Godiva.

…_There is something seriously off about this situation…and something about this man…_Hibari suddenly realized what was amiss with the man. He couldn't read him, not at all. Hibari's eyes narrowed.

The blue-haired man must have caught Hibari's expression as he waved a hand dismissively. "There is nothing wrong with you. I am just not easy to read, that is all."

Hibari's eyes widened fractionally. Then, this man. He could also - ?

"No, it is unfortunate but I cannot. It is just that in comparison to me, you're too easy to read." The man's smirk grew wider by the instant.

Hibari was about to walk away from this weird man when realization hit him. _Oh fuck! Someone else knows about this. My secret's out. Crap crapcrapcrap, if my father finds out, I…_

Hibari turned back to look at the blue-haired man, unaware of the silent plea in his own eyes. The man seemed to have a calculative look in his eyes behind that mask, silently judging the young prince and weighing his own options before slowly saying, "I will not reveal your secret."

Hibari didn't know if he should trust his strange blue-haired stranger but felt a wave of relief wash over him. But wait! Hibari mentally slapped himself. Just what was he doing? Trying to make his face as cold as possible, he intoned lowly, "What are you talking about?" The man's smirk seemed to grow impossibly wide. Desperately trying to draw attention away from the topic of secrets, Hibari said, "Do you know who I am? My father will have you killed for daring to eat during a funeral." As soon as the last sentence was out of his mouth, he regretted saying it. Relying on his father like that, he must have looked like a spineless fool.

Apparently the blue-haired man seemed to think so too. His smile twisted as he let out a brief laugh. "Your father," he repeated dryly and laughed again.

"Within the hollow crown that that rounds the mortal temples of a king, keeps Death his court**."

With that statement hanging in the air, the blue-haired man turned and left, leaving a baffled young prince with an innocent bar of chocolate in his hands staring after him.

It was a long time after that that Hibari would think about that blue-haired man again.

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><p>Twelve-year-old Hibari had been walking along the palace corridors. He had just met his fucking idiot of a tutor and was dead tired. Honestly, what kind of man trips over his own legs? Hibari had sat through the first twenty minutes of clumsiness, feeling nothing but an intense urge to bite that man to death. It was indeed unfortunate that his prized weapons had been confiscated before the session, or that dumb blonde would have been bitten to a bloody pulp by then. After the twenty minutes, the blonde had tripped over thin air, hit his head against the table and promptly fainted. Hibari had stared at the unconscious figure in disgust before stomping out of the door.<p>

Throwing deathly glances at the maids and butlers around him, Hibari was thinking of nothing but his warm bed when he heard the loud string of curses resounding from the corridor that led to his father's chambers.

"That bastard of a man! How dare he—HOW DARE HE have such thoughts against ME! Me, the person who gave him his position, wealth, EVERYTHING. How dare he do this against me. Fuck, I will have his head. Leonardo Lippi, I trusted him but it seems that my trust has been misplaced. Kill him. He will die without knowing why he did. KILL HIM. DO IT IMMEDIATELY!"

Hibari's eyes widened. Lippi? Wasn't that the name of his father's most trusted advisor? As far as he knew, his father had discussed many major strategies with Lippi. Why suddenly the change of heart? Hibari inched closer along the corridor, hoping his father wouldn't walk out of the room. Who was his father talking to anyway? As the young prince held his bated breath outside his father's chambers, he heard the second voice.

"Very well, your Majesty. How do you wish for him to die?"

The voice seemed to cause a resurgence of an old memory. Where had he heard that voice before? Risking it all, Hibari took a quick peek around the corner. Immediately, he saw his father dressed in intricately designed robes, and that man, that man whom his father had been talking to. Hibari knew him.

It was the blue-haired man he had met at the funeral so many years ago. Hibari quickly replayed the scene in his mind.

He heard his father speak again. "Quietly. Quietly but painfully you shall kill him. Make sure his death is untraceable."

A strange laugh from the blue-haired man. "But of course, your Majesty. I will personally send him to the coldest level of hell."

There was a rustle of fabric as his father stood up. Hibari took his cue, slipped down the corridor and disappeared into his room.

Within a few days, fearful murmurs were circulating around the palace of how the king's most trusted advisor was visited by the Devil himself. Even those who lived three miles from Lippi's expansive estate had sworn they could hear his agonized screams ringing through the night.

This intrigued Hibari, but nonetheless sent a shiver down his spine. Did the king his father really have the Devil under his personal service? If that was so… it somehow made sense. It explained how the king still managed to hold under his sway a seething population who would gladly sacrifice a limb (that was not an arm) to tear the king apart with their bare hands.

But he also hated to think what it could also mean. Was his father locked in a contract with the devil who all along had been ruling the country? Was his father merely the Devil's puppet?

Hibari rarely bothered with the dark undercurrents of the royal family, but those questions would not let him go, constantly yapping and whining at the borders of his consciousness. Finally, curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to probe for the answers to his questions.

"Onii-sama," Hibari greeted politely as his brother waved him in with a bored yawn.

"What did you want to ask me that was so important, little brother?" Hibari hated how his brother's voice dripped with condescension, but he managed to keep his face emotionless. "Your tutors are more than qualified to answer any question you could possibly come up with."

"Does our father work for the Devil?" Hibari asked abruptly, but with utmost seriousness.

His brother froze comically at mid-yawn.

Suddenly, he started laughing, as though unable to contain a sudden effervescence of mirth. "Why, if you ask, brother, it's the exact opposite. In both ways." He finally seemed to regain his composure. "It's not something you need to know anyway, since you won't be taking over the throne." His brother spoke the last half-sentence with malicious emphasis.

"I see." Hibari replied submissively. "I shall leave now, sorry I've disturbed your repose." He bowed in mocking courtesy and exited his brother's room, closing the door softly.

Once outside, Hibari pressed his back against the closed door, and felt an uncontrollable smirk spread slowly on his face. He had guessed that his brother would give him some half-assed answer, and was prepared for it.

It was only for a few seconds, but Hibari, with his abilities, was able to pick out the pieces of information that momentarily surfaced on his brother's consciousness.

_A god who knew everyone's secrets, who could kill as easily as batting an eyelid. Secretly worked for the king. Bound by ancient contract. Known by the population as the Seer._

As the pieces clicked together, Hibari collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed by the pure irony of it all. O the Great Seer, guardian of all secrets, worshipped with blind adoration by the entire populace, was working for the one person everyone hated.

_How beautifully twisted the world is._

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><p><strong>(ii) The Pauper who Could<strong>

Ever since Tsuna was young, he knew that he was special. Born to a cheerful mother and an irresponsible father, Tsuna's family was actually, just about as normal as a family could get.

Sawada Nana, the perfect caring mother, who accepted Tsuna for whoever he was, who never set any unreasonable expectations of him. This bright woman, with the smile of an angel, had been, from Tsuna's point of view, married to the worst possible counterpart ever. Sawada Iemitsu, the ultimate irresponsible father. Almost never home, that man was drilling oil in a faraway paradise with beautiful green meadows and spectacular waterfalls. Or so he claimed. Sometimes, when Tsuna saw his mother sighing unhappily over an old family photo, he just felt like punching that bastard in the face.

Nevertheless, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Tsuna's family.

Except Tsuna himself, that is.

When Tsuna was small boy, the ability he had seemed the most useful thing on the planet. He could come up with a hundred ridiculous excuses why he didn't bring his Math homework, and Nezu-sensei, his idiot of a Math teacher believed every single one of them.

"Sorry sensei, I forgot to pack my bag yesterday."

"Of course, Sawada, take a seat."

"Sorry sensei, my pet fish ate my homework."

"Photocopy an extra set and bring it tomorrow."

"Sorry sensei, giant evil laser-shooting extraterrestrial crabs incinerated my worksheets."

"Remember to take better care of your next set, Sawada."

And his Math teacher accepted all his excuses with utmost sincerity, never once questioning the truth behind Tsuna's words. Watching his teacher cruelly lash out on all the other forgetful students, Tsuna realized that he was indeed, special.

When Tsuna was young, he used his abilities mercilessly. On his classmates, on his parents, on his teachers…Whatever he said, as long as he held conviction in his statements, they would all believe him with no doubt. Tsuna did not understand where his power came from and why he was different from all the other 'normal' children around him, but he didn't need to, did he?

Calm, pragmatic Tsuna. _As long as I can do this, why not make good use of it?_

And so, Tsuna's childhood was mainly made up of persuasion, popularity and Yamamoto Takeshi.

Takeshi had been the one and only person whose friendship Tsuna had been certain of. His mother had died of an illness, and his father ran a sushi restaurant. Friendly easy-going kid. They had met during the first day of school and remained fast friends. Tsuna had never used his power even once on Takeshi. He had never felt the need to because Takeshi was just amazing that way, with his ability to make anyone he met instantly like him. And unlike Tsuna's other friends who mostly stuck around him for his perfect grades and his uncanny ability to hypnotise teachers, Takeshi saw who Tsuna really was: a lonely kid who wished he had a better dad.

So Yamamoto Takeshi had been Tsuna's greatest joy during his childhood. And his greatest regret.

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><p>It was a rare bright sunny morning. Namimori Middle was shrouded in sunshine and laughter. The last lesson of the day was Physical Education and Tsuna was not exactly looking forward to it. He had nothing against athletics, but baseball! Why did baseball, of all possible games, have to be their first module of the year? The ball was tiny and the bat was skinny. How in hell did people like Takeshi manage to be so good at it? Tsuna sighed and shook his head as the Spartan PE coach sent them on a 2.4km 'light' warm-up. Internally, he debated if he should convince the coach that it was raining buckets. <em>Nah. Coach's pretty bad but he doesn't deserve a trip to the mental hospital. <em>

It was a sad truth that after the light warm-up, more than half the class was thoroughly winded and sprawled on the floor groaning. Nevertheless, Coach clapped his meaty hands and bellowed, "GET YER LAZY ASSES OFF DA GROUND TIS MINUTE AND START BASEBALLING!"

There was a collective moan from the class as people unglued themselves from the floor and took their positions across the field.

"Hey Tsuna! Let's find a team!" Tsuna looked up tiredly from his spot on the ground at the too-happy Takeshi. With a sigh, he pulled himself up.

"Yeah, let's go."

They found a team pretty easily since everyone wanted a piece of baseball legend Yamamoto Takeshi.

The game went badly. Despite the fact that Takeshi was on their team, Tsuna's team still lost by a wide margin. What was even worse was that Takeshi had continuously missed two shots, something which had never happened in all of Namimori Baseball. When that happened, a gasp had risen out of Tsuna's classmates. _Yamamoto missing a ball? Sacrilege!_

Tsuna watched with a tinge of worry from his position at the side of the field. Takeshi had looked slightly dazed when he missed the two shots. Tsuna frowned. The bright cheerful sunshine and azure blue shy seemed to suggest otherwise but…his gut feeling was telling him this would be a bad day.

Yeah, it was bad alright. Tsuna was on duty directly after PE so he was given the pleasure of sweeping up the huge court all alone. Tsuna sighed and picked up the broom. The huge crowd of people who usually crowded around him during exam period had all disappeared without a trace. Looking at the vast baseball field, Tsuna rolled his eyes and was about to get down to work, when a cheerful voice called out from behind him. "Help has arrived!"

Tsuna turned around to see Takeshi sauntering towards him, a broom balanced across his shoulders, huge grin plastered onto his face. Tsuna smiled. Thank god for friends like Takeshi.

As they cleaned the field in a companionable silence, Takeshi suddenly spoke up. "…Tsuna…" Tsuna looked up. Takeshi's back was facing him as he stood stock still, broom in one hand. Tsuna noticed his slightly shaking arms and white knuckles, and frowned.

"Yeah?"

Takeshi sighed and said in a melancholy tone, "What do you think I should do about my baseball skills?" Tsuna stared at him. _What? Did he just ask me what HE should do about HIS skills? But he's the baseball legend, right? He…_

"Yamamoto…"

"I don't know, Tsuna! Lately, no matter how much I practice, my average is dropping and I just feel like I'm screwing up. The god has abandoned me…"

_The god has abandoned us a long time ago when they made us live under the rule of such unjust idiots, _Tsuna thought bitterly but didn't voice their thoughts. He tried to keep the scorn off his face as he gaped at Takeshi. Takeshi turned around, his eyes shadowed with an emotion that Tsuna didn't quite understand.

"How do you do it, Tsuna?" Tsuna started, jerked out from his thoughts. What was Takeshi asking him? "How do you get such good grades, be so popular and make so many teachers like you?" Tsuna looked away, shame gnawing at him. What should he tell Takeshi? Should he tell his only true friend the truth he had kept hidden for more than 7 years? _The only reason why I'm able to do all that is because I lie all the time. But to you, I would never…_

Tsuna made up his mind. "Takeshi, you know, the only reason why I'm marginally good at all that is because…" _I actually have this ability to persuade people, like, you know, make them believe things…_The words couldn't seem to come out of his mouth. To his horror Tsuna found himself saying, "…I put in effort." Tsuna's eyes widened. _Shit! Wh-What did I just say? What would Takeshi think of me now? A smart alec who had just insulted him by saying he didn't put in enough effort?_

Just as Tsuna tried hurriedly to think of a way to retract his words, he heard a chuckle from in front of him. He looked up, surprised to see Takeshi grinning at him. Internally, he frowned. Something didn't seem right. But he smiled at Takeshi anyway. His friend flashed him the thumbs-up sign. "Thanks, Tsuna! I guess I just needed to hear that." Tsuna smiled, shrugged and went back to his sweeping. But he didn't feel well. Something ridiculously bad was going to happen.

* * *

><p>Tsuna couldn't make himself take another step. He was almost halfway home but his instincts were screaming at him to run back to school. What was this feeling? He was sure he had never felt such uneasiness before. It was like his mind was kicking up a storm.<p>

_What is wrong with me? Haha, maybe my abilities have finally driven me crazy. I- _Tsuna stopped. The feeling of impending doom was getting stronger, and it was pointing towards…the school? Tsuna stopped and threw up his hands, earning stares from passing pedestrians. Whatever. He would go back to school. Just as he turned around, his mind whispered something else to him. _Takeshi. _Tsuna's eyes widened and abandoning all doubts, he sprinted back towards Namimori Middle.

The closer he got, the stronger the feeling tugged at him. That Takeshi was in trouble. That something unimaginably bad was going to happen.

Tsuna arrived at the main gate, panting. He had never been very good at athletics and was sincerely regretting it now. The school was near deserted as the last students streamed out of the gates. Why was he here again? Tsuna looked around uneasily, searching for the trouble his heart told him was here. With a wild glance, he spotted a lone figure standing on the highest section of the school roof. _What is anyone doing ther—oh god. Oh god, it's Takeshi. What is he-? _Tsuna waved frantically at him but all he saw Takeshi do was stare dazedly off into space.

_If Takeshi is going to do what I think he's going to do…oh god. I don't have time—_He ran up the stairs 3 at a time. _I have to reach the roof. _Tsuna flung open the door that led to the rooftop.

"Takeshi!" The black haired boy turned around and watched Tsuna with pained eyes. Tsuna flinched but forced himself to remain stoic. _He couldn't let Takeshi throw his life away like that. Baseball was just a game right? _

"Tsuna…" Takeshi sighed and turned away, choosing to instead stare away into the sky. Tsuna was at a loss. There was no one around to help him and if he said anything wrong to Takeshi…

"Listen, Takeshi. I know you're angry that you haven't been at your best in baseball recently but you—"

"IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT BASEBALL, TSUNA!" Takeshi turned around and glared at Tsuna with so much force that Tsuna could only gape at him. "IT'S ME. Me and everything I do…it's just…Unlike you, my grades are the worst. I can't even pass half my exams. I can't do anything. This world will throw me away. I'm useless to them. All I had was baseball, the only useless thing I could actually do. And now, it's gone too." Takeshi's eyes were rimmed with red.

Tsuna was stunned into silence. Then that friendly exterior, those laughing eyes and wide grin…A façade. _Only the people who are the most broken will know how to make the strongest masks. And for Takeshi, his mask has finally cracked. _

"I hate baseball." Takeshi abruptly said. "I hate myself." He turned and stared at the ground 30 meters below his feet. He shifted forward.

"NO TAKESHI!" Tsuna screamed. _He can't do this. I can't let him do this. _"You haven't lost baseball. You've only lost a few games. You're good at baseball. You're good at people. Your life isn't worth a few games. TAKESHI, THEY'RE JUST GAMES!"

The black-haired boy's body jerked as he stopped moving. "Games, Tsuna?" he asked softly.

Tsuna hadn't stopped to consider the meaning of Takeshi's tone. He was simply too relieved that Takeshi had stopped. He tried to put as much sincerity as he could into his words."Yes, Takeshi. They're games. Everything's just a game so it's fine. It's alright, because it's just a game. You are still amazing, Takeshi. And despite everything, I'm still here for you. Please, Takeshi, step back onto the roof. Please—" He broke off as Takeshi grasped the fence and pulled himself back onto the roof.

"Takeshi…" Tsuna was so relieved he wanted to break down into tears.

"You're right, Tsuna! They're all just games like everything else right? So I'm still pretty good at baseball." Takeshi grinned at Tsuna. "Thanks."

Tsuna stared at his friend. Takeshi was smiling from ear to ear. What had happened to the bitter boy that had wanted to gamble his life a few moments ago? _Just like that? He accepted what I said? I want to ask him about this but…it probably isn't wise to ask now. I'll give him a few days to cool off and then wring the answers out of him._

Instead, Tsuna ran forward and grabbed Takeshi by the shoulders. "What were you _doing_? I was so worried, you—. Never mind, just promise me you won't do that again, alright?"

"Sorry Tsuna, I don't know what I was thinking. Nothing good comes from my idiocy. Haha, yeah, I won't ever do such a thing again." Takeshi ruffled Tsuna's hair and laughed. Tsuna calmed down as he fell into step beside Takeshi to walk home.

_Is it just me, or does Takeshi seem slightly blank today?_

But soon, the cold truth dawned on Tsuna that he had done irreparable damage to his best friend.

He was crossing the road with Takeshi, who still had a slightly vague look on his face. Tsuna felt like demons were invading his mind. It was his fault that Takeshi had felt so useless, right? All those years when he had lied his way to good grades, friendship and popularity…what had Takeshi felt then? He was an idiot. He had sworn never to lie to his true friend but hadn't his whole life been a lie? And the lie…it had transformed itself into something bigger. He didn't deserve Takeshi as a friend.

He should tell Takeshi the truth. As a best friend, he deserved to know, Tsuna decided. Because after all, if he couldn't even trust Takeshi, then he couldn't trust anyone.

"Takeshi, I want to tell you something. I –" The words were just out of Tsuna's mouth when a loud honk cut off the rest of his sentence.

Tsuna had whipped his head around to see a roaring motorcycle speeding past the red light and heading towards them at full speed. Without thinking, by some instinct he couldn't place his finger on, he scrambled back onto the pavement with a speed he never knew he had. But to his horror, Takeshi had stood there, transfixed, as the uncontrolled vehicle hurtled towards him with no signs of slowing down. Tsuna uttered a wordless cry of warning and yanked his friend back onto the safety of the pavement with all his strength as the motorcycle sped past them, leaving clouds of dust in its wake.

Both boys fell onto the pavement. Tsuna was panting, his heartbeat racing fast. He glared at his best friend. Takeshi blinked twice. "Oh thanks for saving me back there, Tsuna. It would have sucked if I got hit and were sent back to the starting point."

"Starting point? What starting point?"Tsuna stared at Takeshi.

"You know, the rules of this game? If you lose all your HP you have to go all the way back to where you started right?"

Tsuna felt as though a glacier had migrated to the pit of his stomach. _No it can't be. It can't be what I think…_

"What the heck? Takeshi, it was a life and death situation, not a game! You could have died!"Tsuna pleaded desperately, hoping that it was merely a mean joke that his friend was playing on him. _No nononononono…_

"Haha, you're funny, Tsuna! Now, let's get home and replenish some of our HP. This game is pretty fun, right?"

Tsuna stared at his friend in speechless horror, as Takeshi chuckled and patted his head affably. "Don't get too caught up in life, Tsuna. There's really no need to be so serious about everything."

As Tsuna mentally replayed every sentence he had spoken to his friend, he felt the overpowering urge to smash his head into the nearest lamppost.

_Everything is just a game._

What Tsuna wouldn't have given to travel back in time and throttle himself before he said those unforgivable words.

Things only got worse from there. A week later, Takeshi was suspended from school after having beaten a guy who threatened him nearly to death. _Eh? _He had said in surprise when Tsuna questioned him about it. _It's alright, isn't it? He only got sent back to the portal so he can just come this way again. Anyway, he should have saved right?_

Their reputation ruined, Takeshi and his father moved out of Namimori, to a place where nobody knew about the strange way that Takeshi behaved, a place where they could possibly start anew. His father had probably thought that a change in environment could cure Takeshi. But Tsuna knew it couldn't. He had tried himself, multiple times, to persuade Takeshi out of his delusion. But it couldn't work, because nothing he said could match the sincerity he put in his words when Takeshi was on the verge of death.

He never got Takeshi back.

And from then onwards, in the name of the Seer, Tsuna swore he would never use his ability again. Even if his friends disappeared, even if his grades plummeted from his lack of motivation…he wouldn't lie anymore.

* * *

><p>It was this boy with a deep past and a deeper secret who found himself staring fearfully at the prince in front of him on the day of the Execution.<p>

Cold grey eyes glared back at him and Tsuna could see the scorn and disgust that flashed in the young prince's eyes. He had just thrown up over Prince Hibari Kyouya; to say he was doomed was an understatement. The best he could hope for was perhaps a quick painless death delivered by the guards behind the royal, and the worst…a life of torture in the underground prisons of the Royal Palace.

Mesmerised by the thoughts of his own impending end, Tsuna watched as the prince calmly stood up, unbuttoned and gracefully shrugged out of his stained coat. Then, the temperature of the air around him took a sharp plunge as Prince Hibari pulled out two strange metal objects from god-knows-where and glared at the flinching brunet through narrowed eyes. "I will bite you to death," he hissed.

Tsuna, horrified at the increasing prospects of his imminent doom, did the only rational thing he could think of. Faced with a pissed-off young prince, two strange metal objects which looked like they would hurt and an entourage of overprotective body guards, Tsuna shrieked like a girl.

"HIEEEEE! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" Letting his instincts take over, Tsuna scrambled up and away from the crazy-looking prince with two metal weapons.

Cursing at his weak athletic ability, Tsuna panted as he sprinted away. _Damn, I can't last forever, and if they catch up to me…I'm slowing down already._

It was with this thought that he felt someone latch onto the back of his hood and drag him backwards to a stop. Caramel eyes clashed with steel grey again as the terrified brunet turned around, once more face-to-face with Prince Hibari. And this time, there was no escape.

_I don't want to die. I don't want to die just yet. What, fuck, I'm just only 15 years old and I don't deserve this, do I? To be killed by, of all things, one of those pampered princes…Crap I can only think of one way out of this and I don't want to use it…not again…_

Tsuna squeezed his eyes shut as Prince Hibari's metal weapon swung down towards his face. He was going to die. Hopefully, it was going to be fast. But then, as he was having that thought, the world around him seemed to slow down as he felt his body taking control of itself. His instincts, they were acting up on themselves again? No, he didn't want it. No…

With a speed he didn't know he possessed, Tsuna's hand shot up and stopped the prince's arm halfway in its motion. He stared into Prince Hibari's widening grey eyes as he intoned very slowly, "You don't see me. There's nothing in front of you. Nothing." The cold fist around his heart unclenched a little as he felt Hibari's arm in his grasp relax. The prince's eyes lost their anger as the pupils dilated to give him a slightly unfocused look.

Tsuna dropped the prince's arm. Leaving the young prince staring blankly into space behind him, he saw his chance and sprinted away and around the east corner of the alleyway like hell was after him.

* * *

><p>Hibari grabbed the back of the brunet's hooded jacket with an irritated tch. The pathetic herbivore couldn't possibly hope to outrun him. With a particularly hard drag, he spun the boy around and glared hard at his face. The boy had merely stared back at him.<p>

The terror he had been expecting was there on the brunet's face but there was…something else as well. Hibari realized with a start that that was disgust. The brunet was looking at him with something akin to scorn. Hibari's eyes narrowed. _How dare he, this pathetic street rat? That look he's giving me…it's not obvious but it's there. Like how my brother looks at me. Like how he knows I'm a useless fool whose sole purpose in life is to be a prince and only that. How dare he. I'll kill him._

It was needless to say that when Hibari had swung his weapon down, he was thoroughly and utterly shocked that the brunet managed to stop his arm mid-blow. His mind hadn't even had time to process what was going on before the innocent-looking boy in front of him started to speak.

Hibari felt himself drowning in a sea of white. 

It felt like decades later when he finally seemed to regain his senses. Hibari blinked and shook his head. He felt someone had been pounding the inside of his skull with a sledgehammer. _What happened? _His memories seemed fuzzy and for a terrifying moment, he couldn't even place his finger on what his name was.

Then a voice behind him snapped him out of his semi-reverie. "Ouji-sama, are you alright?" Hibari turned around, letting the irritating man who had just arrived face the full brunt of his glare. The Chief Guard flinched under the intensity of the grey stare. But the voice had also seemed to anchor his floating thoughts back to the ground. His name was Hibari Kyouya. He was a prince. He had been apprehending a brown-haired boy…His eyes widened. _That boy, he—_

"Ouji-sama?" Hibari made a split second decision.

"Go after that boy. Make sure he doesn't escape." Hibari pointed west. "I'll wait here. All of you, move now!"

The Chief Guard actually had the nerve to put in anxiously, "But Ouji-sama, some of us should stay with you—"

Hibari's narrowed his eyes as he raised his tonfas. The guard gave a small squeak and started shouting at his platoon to move out. As the whole entourage disappeared around the west corner, Hibari pocketed his weapons and smirked before sprinting eastwards.

_That boy…he could be my tool to changing this dystopia. My idiot of a father and bitch of a brother… _A mirthless smile appeared on Hibari's face.

_I will be king._

* * *

><p>*No pun intended, haha.<p>

** It's a quote from a Shakespearean play, Richard II. The play gives one insight into the political life of Richard II, a English King. Through a series of schemes which lead the eventual overthrow of the king, the themes of mortality and rise and fall of empires are explored. The quote here essentially points that no matter how powerful a king may be, he is only mortal. Sooner or later, he will die and his soul will reaped by the gods.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Finished! I hope you guys realized something important, that many of Hibari's and Tsuna's perceptions are contradictory. I think that's a very interesting concept that would probably explain the fall of many dictators. They're so distant from their people and no news of the suffering in their countries can even bother them. Even though I'm constantly joking about how being a dictator would be fun and all that to my friends, I know that I'm pretty thankful that I'm living in a democratic country.

Back to the topic, Tsuna's ability doesn't really affect Hibari, so…what's going to happen next?

**Editors note**: Mammon is actually the cupcake dictator of unicorn land and will fluffify you if you don't obey.


	3. Repercussions and Retributions

**World of Secrets**

**Summary: **In the World of Secrets, everyone has to have a secret, given to them at birth, which they must guard with their life. When Tsuna, a commoner, accidentally runs into Prince Hibari, he thinks he's doomed for death, but what he doesn't realize is that their fates are intertwined into a destiny that had been decided for them long ago.

**Pairing: **1827

**Warning: **T for some slightly gory scenes and swearing. OOC Characters. Mature! Tsuna.

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! If I did, gyahahaha…

A huge thanks to my editor (Escente on deviantart) for helping me pull through this chapter

* * *

><p>Chapter 3. Repercussions and Retributions<p>

_The boy who fibbed looked around desperately. There was nobody. He had never been more alone in his life. And a bad time to be alone it was. He would die here…_

_The wolves came ever closer. He knew they could smell his few. Black, feral, blending against the nightscape, they were a kind of ghastly beauty. And they would descend on him soon enough. They would tear the flesh of his face, rip his chest open, devour his heart._

_If only the villagers would come with a pitchfork like the last few times…he would be saved. But no, he was alone. It was his night of retribution, and also perhaps of redemption. If they tore his tongue out, he wouldn't lie anymore, right?_

_The nearest wolf lunged. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything. His stiff legs kept him propped up. As the fangs tore into the soft flesh of his cheek, he couldn't feel pain. Just an overwhelming sense of terror and maybe a hint of relief._

_It would end soon._

_The boy sank into thankful unconsciousness as his legs gave way. His body was soon lost under a snarling mess of fangs, fur and blood. _

_Yes…this was retribution._

* * *

><p>Tsuna made a vicious right turn, skidding across the corner. <em>Right, right, left, left, right…<em>The dark alleys behind the glamour of a city were a confusing place. A person could easily get lost here. It was also this place that displayed the scenes that were often swept under a carpet. This was the place where rats made nests and ran free. This was the place where mounds and mounds of rubbish were piled dangerously upon each other. This was the place where beggars crawled and shadows lurked. And this was the place where Tsuna felt truly at home.

Away from the eyes of the people and the guards. A place where no one would judge him. Tsuna knew the alleys like they were the back of his hand. Takeshi and he had often played here when they were younger. Weaving his way through the dingy streets, he was rather confident that no one would follow him here.

In his mind, he ran through what had happened previously. He had broken his promise, the one that he had sworn upon the Seer.

_If I just make a few more turns, I would end up at the other side of the square. I can just blend in with the crowd and make my escape. _Tsuna breathed a sign of relief. He would be safe after all. The uproar from the Execution was getting louder. Just two more turns…

Tsuna was about to turn onto the main street when something hard and cold smashed into the back of his head. He managed to glance briefly at the familiar-looking metal weapon that clattered to the ground before his world made a 360 degrees turn and everything turned black.

* * *

><p>He woke up face down on cold stone floor. His head was aching, like his skull was being pounded with a jackhammer. He tried to peel open his gritty eyelids. <em>Oh god, quadruple vision. <em>Head spinning, he quickly shut his eyes and moaned softly. The cold from the floor was seeping through his body, chilling his bones. He felt numb. He wanted to move but his body was too numb to respond.

Without movement to preoccupy his mind, his thoughts inevitably shifted to the last events he could remember. He didn't really want to think about it. Maybe if he wished hard enough, the Seer would take pity on him and it would all go away. He muttered a silent oath and opened his eyes. His vision was better but it only helped him to fully appreciate the cold stone wall in front of him. It was all the proof that Tsuna needed.

He was going to die.

With visible effort, he pushed himself up. There were pops all over his body as his bones accommodated the sudden motion. He noted the heavy steel chains encircling his ankles and the metal ring around his waist. It was a little excessive in his opinion. He may have whipped up a few escape-from-class strategies before, but he was no Houdini. He also noted with bitter amusement that they had forgotten to secure the place most crucial. His mouth. Tsuna dragged himself with stiff arms to a corner of the room. Sitting with his back against the wall, he hung his head.

How had he even gotten himself into this horrible mess?

_That prince…_Tsuna scowled as his image flashed across his mind. Of all the ways to die, it had to be at the hands of one of the people he hated most. How was he to know that that bastard wouldn't be affected by his persu—wait.

Tsuna's eyes widened as he realized the implications of this. He hadn't been affected? Was this a trait that all members of the royal family had? Or perhaps it was only Prince Hibari who was immune? Or…was it possible? Maybe he had lost the power that had haunted him since his birth? It was a thought that brought both apprehension and relief. It would be impossible for him to get himself out of this situation without his ability.

…_I'll try it on the next person who comes in, I guess…_

As soon as that crossed his mind, Tsuna felt disgusted with himself. Hadn't he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't ever use it again? And here he was, throwing it so casually about…like that promise years ago was worth nothing, like Takeshi's life was worth nothing. He distinctly remembered his mother spinning a fable for him when he was younger, about a fibber who got devoured by wolves. The Seer would condemn him to a fate worse than that, he was sure, if he broke this particular promise he made to himself.

But what could be a worse fate than waiting like a sitting duck to be killed by the person he found most despicable? The more Tsuna thought about it, the bitterer he became. He had a mother waiting for him. He had done nothing that would yield him such punishment. _No, I won't give those bastards the privilege of ending my life._

With that, Tsuna decided. He would escape from this hell. He stared at the heavy metal door, waiting for someone to grant him freedom. His eyes were deadly cold.

The first person to come in was a wet-behind-the-ears guard who looked young and inexperienced. He was carrying a bowl, probably with food in it. The moment he saw Tsuna he looked slightly surprised. Probably wondering what a young boy would be doing here. Well, welcome to reality.

Tsuna didn't move from his spot in the corner of the room as he peered at the guard under his bangs, assessing him. He would do. Tsuna licked his dry lips slightly nervously. If this didn't work, he would be in a much deeper pot of shit. The guard placed the bowl on the floor through the bars of the cell. He beckoned to Tsuna that food was here. Painting on the best desperate expression Tsuna could muster, which was unsurprisingly easy, he crawled forward on all fours. He stared at the warden with what he hoped were big, watery, convincing puppy eyes.

"Guard-san, p-please, let me out..." His voice shook. Perfect.

The young guard looked at him with a mixture of sadness and pity. Yes, the emotions would make his job easier.

"Please! I don't e-even know w-what I'm here f-for! It's so dark and I-I can hear these s-scary n-noises...please, guard-san..." Even Tsuna himself could hear the utter despair in his voice. He inwardly smirked as the guard visibly softened and melted like a block of cheese.

"I'm sorry, boy. I really can't do that. I don't ones what you're here for, but whatever it is, I'm sure you'll be out soon."

Tsuna stiffened. He wanted to laugh. Did that idiot really think that? Clearly, he was a complete newbie. Prisoners would never be let out, even if they'd been wronged. The King's reputation had to be preserved after all.

"Here, eat something and I'll talk to the head about you. Maybe you'll get a better cell."

Tsuna decided. This was it. This was his chance. Pushing himself forward, he latched on to the guard's arm. The guard flinched as his other hand reached for his revolver. Tilting his head up, Tsuna glared intensely as he made eye contact. Layering his voice, he spoke coldly.

"I don't think you understand. I haven't done anything to deserve this. You will let me out. Now."

There was a terrifying moment in which the guard didn't seem to respond. Tsuna's heart sank as the consequences of his failed plan struck him. Would he be here forever? But then, he felt the arm in his grip slacken. The young man's eyes seemed to lose focus, as he hesitantly nodded.

Tsuna heaved a sigh of relief as he let go of the man's arm. The guard fumbled for his keys. Retrieving the correct one, he shakily unlocked the cell.

It had worked! He hadn't lost his powers at all. All he had to do was to avoid the royals and he could probably escape. He turned to the guard who was still staring at him blankly. "I don't suppose you have a map?"

He smiled as the guard handed over a slightly crumpled piece of paper. Unrolling the map, he studied it. Yes, this could work. Looking back at his helper, he sighed.

"Nobody was ever here in this cell, alright? You were on your rounds and you somehow entered the wrong room. You dropped your map somewhere along the way." He waited for the guard to nod before leaving hastily.

Five minutes later, a young guard stared confusedly at his surroundings. Where exactly was he? He reached into his pocket for his map. Eh? He frowned and groaned at his own carelessness. He had probably lost his map and wandered into the wrong room. He cursed and stepped out of the cell, heading in the opposite direction.

Tsuna walked briskly down the fifth corridor. This place was a labyrinth. He thanked the god that he had had the sense to ask for a map. Apart from that one idiot earlier, he hadn't really seen anyone around either. For a supposedly unescapable fortress, the place was strangely unguarded. It left Tsuna with a sense of unease. Even if the tunnels were a maze, shouldn't there at least have been some successful escapades before?

But there had been none. Only tales of men who had died trying. The King took great pleasure in announcing the names of those dead during the Execution.

He wondered what terrifying trap awaited him. An army of guards, armed with automatic machine guns. Or perhaps a fire-breathing dragon.

He passed another set of identical metal doors. A high-pitched wail was emitted from one of them. Whatever it was that lay behind the metal plate…Tsuna really didn't want to know. _Chimeras, maybe. _It certainly wasn't beyond to the people here to do something as inhumane as that.

Tsuna peered at his rumpled map, and almost smiled to himself. At the end of the corridor lay one final room, and then, it would be sunlight and freedom. He hadn't really thought about what would follow after that. But that could come later. He needed to get out first.

He stopped in front of the final set of doors. Unlike the monotonous steel ones he had passed on his way here. This one was made of mahogany. Deep rich red wood, a symbol of prosperity and wealth.

Tsuna hesitated. It was like one of those video games. _Dear Player, you've reached the final level of the dungeon. Before initiating the boss battle, would you like to save your game?_ Except here, he couldn't exactly save game.

Taking a deep breath, he tested the doors. It was unlocked. He would have picked the lock otherwise anyway. He pushed the heavy wooden doors open and was nearly blinded by the brightness of the room.

A chandelier hung from the ceiling of the room, its intricate glass bulbs casting light and shadow on the walls. The room itself was huge. It was easily thirty times the size of his own living room. Tsuna looked around in awe. He certainly could not complain about the ability of the King to design his palace. The room was tastefully decorated, with an archaic feel but nothing too stuffy. There was a couch in the middle of the room, sewn with exquisitely patterned silk and an ivory table in front of it and…

Tsuna's breath caught.

There was someone sitting on that couch.

A blue haired man with a mask was sprawled on the plush cushion, seemingly not caring about the cost of the material. His booted legs were propped on the ivory table. His hair was weirdly styled. It was spiky on top, like a…pineapple, and tied loosely at the bottom. There was something lazy about him, like he didn't really care about whatever was going on. The man turned his head to face Tsuna.

This was it. This was the boss battle wasn't it? Just who was this person? He should probably convince the man not to do anything funny right? Tsuna opened his mouth but the blue haired man beat him to it.

"Hello, Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun." A wide smile. "Perhaps you haven't realized that you're standing on a large pool of dried blood?"

Tsuna blanched. How did he know his name? …Dried blood? He looked down. The floor beneath him was covered in a large pool of a dark brown substance with a faint metallic smell. Dried blood indeed. He flinched and stepped away from the liquid.

…_How the hell—_

"—did the dried blood end up here?" The blue-haired man smirked briefly as he finished Tsuna's sentence. "It's what I usually do to the poor souls who try to escape. I'm under orders to guard this place after all." He inclined his head.

Tsuna gawked at him, at a total loss. He had a feeling that the eyes beneath the beautifully decorated mask were studying him intensely.

"Well, like I said, it's what I usually do. But it won't happen to you. It's too early to kill you, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna found his tongue. "H-how do you know my name?"

The blue-haired man waved his hand dismissively. "I know everything and anything. Sawada Tsunayoshi. Son of Sawada Iemitsu and Nana. Known as Dame-Tsuna in school because he doesn't try hard enough. Is somewhat gifted but refuses to acknowledge it after you destroyed your…friend. And…a descendent of a certain someone." The man smiled widely at him.

Tsuna scowled. Mourning about Takeshi's absence by himself was alright, but listening to someone else speak so casually about it angered him. He knew he wasn't in the position to argue with anybody but he couldn't help it. "I didn't—"

"Didn't what? Don't lie to yourself, Tsunayoshi-kun." The man stretched like a cat and stood up. "I know every one of those things you try to hide. I haven't lived this long for nothing, you know?" He laughed strangely, stood up and ripped off his mask.

Mismatched eyes met chocolate brown as a wave of terror washed over Tsuna. _That eye…_He felt like a rabbit cornered by a pack of wolves. The room around him dimmed as fear obscured the sides of his vision. Every one of his muscles seemed to turn into liquid fire as his knees shook. _Runrunrunrun _his instincts screamed at him but he couldn't move. Beads of sweat trailed down his cheeks, or were they tears? He was going to be devoured. All his effort to escape was for naught. Another bloodstain on the floor…

The strange blue-haired man with the heterochromatic eyes tossed the mask into a corner and strode towards him, stopping about a foot away from the shaking boy. Tsuna wanted to break eye contact but he couldn't. That single red eye…it was riveting.

The man stared down at him with something akin to disdain. "My, my, you look just like him, don't you?" He sneered. There was a maniacal gleam in his eyes. _…Who?..._

He bent his knees slowly until his eyes were level with Tsuna's. The twisted smile still in place, he whispered. "My name is Rokudo Mukuro. We will meet again."

He raised a hand. "Now, sleep. _Ouji-sama _wants to see you." And poked Tsuna on the forehead.

For the second time in a day, Tsuna succumbed to the blackness.

* * *

><p>Sawada Nana has always been a very simple woman. She had a loving son and a nice house, both of whom she could fuss over happily to her heart's content. The only thing that she occasionally signed or got misty-eyed about would be the fact that her husband seldom returned home. But that didn't mean that he didn't love her, for she knew that he did.<p>

She had met Iemitsu while away on vacation on a sunny beautiful island with white sands and blue seas. They had unraveled a love story that developed into marriage. He was a supervisor of a company that refined oil. She was a simple housewife who wanted nothing more than a family. Oh yes, Nana loved her husband. But the only thing in the world that she loved more than her husband would be her only son.

Tsuna had been with her for the past fifteen years, making up for every moment that Iemitsu was not home. In her mind, she thought she knew Tsuna like the back of her hand. She knew he once had been a popular boy, having lots of friends and maybe even some admirers. She had giggled at the pile of chocolates her son had received every Valentine's Day. But ever since Yamamoto Takeshi had moved out of town, Tsuna hadn't quite been the same. He didn't smile quite so often anymore. He seemed to have become older, more mature that the sunny boy who used to look forward to the days when she made cookies.

It was a pity that Takeshi had left. She had liked the cheerful optimistic boy who always stuck around Tsuna. She wasn't too sure why he had left though. Tsuna had mumbled something about an illness and a need for a change in atmosphere. Her son looked like he was about to burst into tears as he said that and she knew better than to press the matter.

And then Tsuna'a grades had plummeted and the pile of chocolates on Valentine's Day diminished to just one or two, then zero. She had been worried for her son but had not questioned him about it. She didn't need popular son or a smart one. All she needed was a person who would reciprocate her love. And she knew Tsuna loved her.

Her son may not be the most charismatic, nor the most intelligent, nor the most athletic of people. But she loved him all the same. Her life would not be complete without Tsuna.

But as much as she might have lived Tsuna to stay with her forever, she knew that he would move on eventually. Get a job, get somebody to love, get a family. Yes, Tsuna might move on, he might leave her, but whatever her son did, she would support him wholeheartedly.

That was the thought that occurred to her when two guards in royal uniform knocked on her door on a gray windy morning.

* * *

><p>Hibari Kyouya stood in front of the cell where the brown-haired boy lay unconscious, arms crossed. He was surprised at the twinge of guilt he felt looking at the vulnerable boy, whose face was innocent and peaceful in sleep. Even so, he didn't seem to be having a very good dream. His occasional bursts of anxiety rolled over Hibari. <em>My conscience decides to return the moment I begin my plan, <em>he thought wryly. But guilty or not, he would enlist the boy's help.

He had already sent guards to tell the boy's mother that the boy had been chosen to work in the palace and wouldn't be home for some time. Looking at the boy again, the guilt returned along with a strange sense of possessiveness. He couldn't let his brother or his father know anything about his captive. If his charismatic brother managed to sway the boy into working for him, then Hibari might as well throw himself over a cliff.

He bit back a snarl of anger as he remembered the way the Seer had tossed the boy to him like a sack of potatoes, and given him that irritating know-it-all smile of his. That creep. If he had damaged the boy in any way, his plans would be ruined. He hadn't really wanted his trump card to meet the Seer so quickly. The blue-haired man had told him that he would be quiet about this matter but he couldn't quite shake off the uncertainty. Even if he actually kept his word, he still worked for the King. What if his father asked about any erratic behavior from his sons? Wouldn't he been obliged to tell him? He tried not to imagine what would happen to him should his father find out about his treachery.

How would he carry out his plan anyway? He had a few ideas but none of them were concrete. And how would he get past the Seer who already knew what he was thinking? He may be special but he wouldn't stand a chance if his father ordered the god to kill him. Annoyance bubbled within him as his hand itched for something to throw into a wall.

Heaving a sigh, he stared at the sleeping boy. First things first, he had to ensure the boy would help him. But he needed to confirm the boy's abilities with his own eyes first. And afterwards he could perhaps worry about the progression of his plan. Perhaps make the boy work here since he had ruined his clothes? That ridiculous outfit made for the special occasion with all its frills and silk had cost a small fortune. It would be reasonable to make the boy work off his debt, and during the time of the boy's stay, maybe they could work out an agreement. It was incredibly irritating that he needed the boy's agreement in order for his plan to proceed. He wasn't used to asking for things. He ordered and threatened but he had never actually asked someone to work with him.

Glancing at his watch, he tapped his foot impatiently. When was the pretty boy going to wake up? Wait. In a panic, Hibari backtracked his thoughts. _Pretty? _Where had that come from? He wanted to strangle himself. Capturing little boys, imprisoning them and marveling over their porcelain skin. He was shaping up to be a first-class pervert. Oh god, no. He shook his head, ridding himself of all such thoughts. He hadn't slept well the previous night, that was all.

The captive boy stirred and mumbled something in his sleep. Hibari schooled his features into a mask of impassivity as caramel eyes opened to stare at him, searching and judging.

"Hibari Kyouya." The lyrical whisper left the boy's lips.

What was he going to do now? To proceed was sheer craziness. To retreat was not an option.

Hibari took a deep breath.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sigh, for a short chapter, this took a while. Sorry! I had tons of school exams, and my grades are dropping so I had to worry about that first. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but my schoolwork isn't leaving me with much time to do anything else. It's a pity though, I kind of like this story.


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